Brendan Gallagher's sister Bree raises $14,383 to fund brain cancer research after mom Della's death

Montreal Canadiens' alternate captain Brendan Gallagher’s sister Bree Gallagher is raising money to support brain cancer research at the USC Brain Tumor Center. This was done in honor of their late mother, Della Gallagher, who passed away after a long battle with brain cancer.

In an Instagram post, Bree shared that three years ago their mom was diagnosed with stage 4 Glioblastoma, an aggressive and difficult to treat form of brain cancer. After a courageous fight, Della sadly passed away.

"We recently just lost my mom after an incredibly long and hard fight, but I'll forever be proud of her for how hard she fought and the amount of courage she showed over the past three years," Bree wrote.

"In honor of her and other brain cancer patients out there, going to run the fundraiser again, because that's absolutely what she would have wanted."

To honor their mom and help other brain cancer patients, Bree decided to run a fundraiser again this year. Last year's fundraiser raised over $20,000 for brain cancer research.

For this year's drive, Bree is running the BMO Vancouver Marathon to inspire others and continue her mom's legacy. So far, the donation drive has raised over $14,383 and donations are still coming in.

Several of Brendan Gallagher's teammates with the Montreal Canadiens have contributed to the fundraiser. Patrik Laine donated $5,000 in Della's honor. Other players including Kirby Dach, Nick Suzuki, David Savard and Josh Anderson also donated $1,111, $1,111, $1,111 and $1,011 respectively.

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Brendan Gallagher's sister Bree reminisces about mom Della

Bree shared fond memories of their late mother Della on a GoFundMe page. Bree described Della as a vibrant, unique, and one-of-a-kind force who lived life to the fullest with deep love for those around her.

“Whether it was helping my sister navigate motherhood, passionately yelling at referees through the TV during Brendan Gallagher’s games,or cherishing stories of Nolan’s acts of kindness as a firefighter, she took immense pride in her children.

“And we, in turn, were endlessly proud of her. She embodied resilience in everything she did, right up until her final days. A couple weeks ago, on the morning of March 7th, she earned her wings far too soon."

Bree wrote that she wishes she could tell her mom one last time how much she looked up to her strength and grit. She said that while Della may be gone, her bravery lives on in all of them, and it's their duty to share her inspiring story of living every day with courage.